Achromatic's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=Achromatic2006-04-23T15:22:39ZDecember 2, 2005 (idea)http://everything2.com/user/Achromatic/writeups/December+2%252C+2005Achromatichttp://everything2.com/user/Achromatic2006-04-23T15:22:39Z2006-04-23T15:22:39Z<p>It has long been a <a href="/title/failing">failing</a> of mine that I don't really talk a lot about how I feel. I still recall back in 2000, when I came home from overseas, discussing with a friend where I'd been, and <a href="/title/why+I+disappeared">why I disappeared</a>, and she commented that she'd gone back through logs of our conversations, and made the following observation:</p>
<blockquote>At the time, it felt like we spoke on how I was, how I was feeling, and that we spoke on how you were feeling. <a href="/title/But+on+reflection">But on reflection</a> later, you never really answered. You answered <a href="/title/just+enough+to+cover+yourself">just enough to cover yourself</a> until you could move the conversation away from the subject.</blockquote>
<p>And she was right - that's a pretty accurate summation of what I did.</p>
<p>But why? That's the <a href="/title/%252464%252C000+question">$64,000 question</a>.</p>
<p>The best I can put it is <a href="/title/self-deprecating">self-deprecating</a>. I spend so much time <a href="/title/deriding">deriding</a> <a href="/title/angst">angst</a> and <a href="/title/depression">depression</a> amongst people, yet I'm frightened that my answers of "not good, not good at all" will just be seen as <a href="/title/attention-whoring">attention-whoring</a>, <a href="/title/trivial">trivial</a> little 'pity me'&hellip;December 31, 2005 (idea)http://everything2.com/user/Achromatic/writeups/December+31%252C+2005Achromatichttp://everything2.com/user/Achromatic2006-04-23T15:16:22Z2006-04-23T15:16:22Z<p>So, it's 7.20pm on <a href="/title/New+Year%2527s+Eve">New Year's Eve</a>, and at this point, I rate my chances of going out at around 10%. But that's alright. Iâm not feeling mopey or <a href="/title/maudlin">maudlin</a>, just ambivalent. I'll probably stay up past midnight, as I usually do, but not actually doing anything to 'celebrate' the new year ... and really, why bother? Itâs far too hot, and any social aspects are easily countered by the inevitable headaches of drunkenness, the horror of <a href="/title/packed+trains+on+a+hot+night">packed trains on a hot night</a>, followed by giving up <a href="/title/waiting+for+a+taxi">waiting for a taxi</a>, and probably ending up walking 45 minutes up a mountain to get home. No thanks.</p>
<p>Overall? Not the best of years. A couple of hiccups with employers, contracts drying up, and so forth. But Iâve landed on my feet at this last place. <a href="/title/Innovative">Innovative</a> work. Latest technology (who can complain about having several <a href="/title/plasma">plasma</a> and LCD TV's in their vicinity, and the freedom to watch new release movies and <a href="/title/HDTV">HDTV</a>?), ability to work from home, and a lot of international travel.</p>
<p>My goals for&hellip;January 22, 2006 (idea)http://everything2.com/user/Achromatic/writeups/January+22%252C+2006Achromatichttp://everything2.com/user/Achromatic2006-04-23T15:12:17Z2006-04-23T15:12:17Z<p>So, a little <a href="/title/footnote">footnote</a> on that whole "finding out my girlfriend was fucking another guy whilst screaming blue murder at my online <a href="/title/dalliance">dalliances</a>" thing...</p>
<p>I have to be careful, because I don't want to fall into the trap of <a href="/title/hypocrisy">hypocrisy</a> myself. What she did in no way excuses what I did, nor justifies it. But funnily enough, my efforts were never justified by <a href="/title/inherent">inherent</a> dissatisfaction with our relationship, either. There were things that happened that never should. Or, in one particular case, should have happened, but should have also been managed better ...</p>
<p>The thing is, given everything else, I could have understood her <a href="/title/cheating">cheating</a> on me. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have been happy. I'd have been angry and pissed off, but I'd have understood why she might. But what really infuriated me was the <a href="/title/righteous+rage">righteous rage</a> that carried on, the hypocrisy, and the blaming of me for it all. Funnily, I sent an email to her a month or so ago, and in it I vented a little, and said something&hellip;Victoria (place)http://everything2.com/user/Achromatic/writeups/VictoriaAchromatichttp://everything2.com/user/Achromatic2005-06-18T17:50:21Z2005-06-18T17:50:21Z<p><strong>Abbreviation</strong>: VIC<br>
<strong><a href="/title/Capital+city">Capital city</a></strong>: Melbourne<br>
<strong>Borders</strong>: <a href="/title/New+South+Wales">New South Wales</a>, <a href="/title/South+Australia">South Australia</a><br>
<strong><a href="/title/License+plate">License plate</a> <a href="/title/motto">motto</a></strong>: The Garden State; On The Move<br>
<strong><a href="/title/Nickname">Nickname</a> of inhabitants</strong>: <a href="/title/Mexicans">Mexicans</a></p>
<p>The second smallest <a href="/title/State">State</a> of <a href="/title/Australia">Australia</a>, Victoria (<a href="/title/2003">2003</a> population: 4,947,985) has an area of 227,620 km<sup>2</sup>. Notwithstanding its size, <a href="/title/agricultural">agricultural</a> production in this State is second only to that of <a href="/title/New+South+Wales">New South Wales</a>.</p>
<p><a href="/title/Melbourne">Melbourne</a>, the State capital, is located on the northern end of <a href="/title/Port+Phillip+Bay">Port Phillip Bay</a> near the mouth of the <a href="/title/Yarra+River">Yarra River</a>. Other major cities include <a href="/title/Geelong">Geelong</a>, <a href="/title/Ballarat">Ballarat</a>, <a href="/title/Bendigo">Bendigo</a>, <a href="/title/Mildura">Mildura</a>, <a href="/title/Wangaratta">Wangaratta</a> and the border twin cities of <a href="/title/Albury">Albury</a>-<a href="/title/Wodonga">Wodonga</a>. Its industries include <a href="/title/chemical">chemical</a> and <a href="/title/metal">metal</a> processing, <a href="/title/textile">textiles</a>, <a href="/title/paper">paper</a> products and <a href="/title/printing">printing</a>. The <a href="/title/Port+of+Melbourne">Port of Melbourne</a>, which has <a href="/title/bulk">bulk</a> and <a href="/title/container">container</a>-handling facilities, is the largest <a href="/title/port">port</a> and&hellip;Keith Murdoch (person)http://everything2.com/user/Achromatic/writeups/Keith+MurdochAchromatichttp://everything2.com/user/Achromatic2005-06-18T17:25:48Z2005-06-18T17:25:48Z<p>The <a href="/title/founder">founder</a> of a world-wide <a href="/title/media">media</a> network, Keith Murdoch (<a href="/title/1886">1886</a> - <a href="/title/1952">1952</a>) was born in <a href="/title/Camberwell">Camberwell</a>, <a href="/title/Victoria">Victoria</a>. His career in <a href="/title/journalism">journalism</a> began in <a href="/title/1903">1903</a> as a <a href="/title/freelance">freelance</a> district <a href="/title/reporter">reporter</a> on the <a href="/title/Melbourne">Melbourne</a> <em><a href="/title/Age">Age</a></em>. He spent a period in <a href="/title/England">England</a>, during which time he entered the <a href="/title/London+School+of+Economics">London School of Economics</a>, and in <a href="/title/1912">1912</a> became the Melbourne <a href="/title/correspondent">correspondent</a> for the <a href="/title/Sydney">Sydney</a> <em><a href="/title/Sun">Sun</a></em>. In <a href="/title/1915">1915</a> he was sent to manage the <a href="/title/London">London</a> <a href="/title/bureau">bureau</a> of the <a href="/title/United+Cable+Service">United Cable Service</a>. In <a href="/title/1920">1920</a> he returned to <a href="/title/Australia">Australia</a> ans soon after was appointed <a href="/title/editor">editor</a>-in-chief of the Melbourne <em>Herald</em>. Under his guidance the <em>Herald</em> became the <a href="/title/foremost">foremost</a> Victorian <a href="/title/newspaper">newspaper</a> of the period, and in <a href="/title/1925">1925</a> he supervised the <a href="/title/takeover">takeover</a> of the rival <em><a href="/title/Sun+News-Pictorial">Sun News-Pictorial</a></em>.</p>
<p>Murdoch joined the board of the <em>News</em>, <a href="/title/Adelaide">Adelaide</a>, in <a href="/title/1931">1931</a>, became principal <a href="/title/proprietor">proprietor</a> of the <a href="/title/Brisbane">Brisbane</a> <em><a href="/title/Courier-Mail">Courier-Mail</a></em> in <a href="/title/1933">1933</a>, and was <a href="/title/knight">knighted</a> in the same year. He acquired a majority interest in the <em>News</em> in <a href="/title/1949">1949</a>.</p>Irian Jaya (place)http://everything2.com/user/Achromatic/writeups/Irian+JayaAchromatichttp://everything2.com/user/Achromatic2005-06-18T17:10:23Z2005-06-18T17:10:23Z<p>Also known as <a href="/title/West+Irian">West Irian</a>, Irian Jaya is that part of <a href="/title/New+Guinea">New Guinea</a> west of the 141st <a href="/title/meridian">meridian</a> and the adjoining offshore islands. Since <a href="/title/1963">1963</a> it has been a <a href="/title/Province">Province</a> of <a href="/title/Indonesia">Indonesia</a> and its area of 412,781 km<sup>2</sup> represents about 22 per cent of that nation's land. The capital of the province is <a href="/title/Jayapura">Jayapura</a>, about 30 km west of the northern end of the <a href="/title/Papua+New+Guinea">Papua New Guinea</a>-Irian Jaya <a href="/title/border">border</a>.</p>
<p>The province is divided into eight regions with administrative centrea at <a href="/title/Biak">Biak</a>, <a href="/title/Manokwari">Manokwari</a>, <a href="/title/Sorong">Sorong</a>, <a href="/title/Kaimana">Kaimana</a>, <a href="/title/Merauke">Merauke</a> and <a href="/title/Wamena">Wamena</a>. <a href="/title/Road">Road</a> links through the province are underdeveloped and <a href="/title/transport">transport</a> between coastal centres relies on <a href="/title/shipping">shipping</a>. Overall there has been less development in Irian Jaya than New Guinea. Few <a href="/title/cash+crop">cash crops</a> were planted before <a href="/title/World+War+II">World War II</a>. <a href="/title/Prominent">Prominent</a> <a href="/title/crop">crops</a> in recent years include <a href="/title/coffee">coffee</a> and <a href="/title/copra">copra</a>, <a href="/title/cocoa">cocoa</a>, <a href="/title/nutmeg">nutmeg</a> and <a href="/title/mace">mace</a>. The most <a href="/title/prosperous">prosperous</a> development has been the <a href="/title/Japanese">Japanese</a>-Indonesian <a href="/title/prawn">prawn</a> and <a href="/title/tuna">tuna</a> <a href="/title/fishery">fisheries</a>. For many&hellip;